There weren't many people on the street yet, and we didn't have time to look around properly on the way back. This time, Bai You had the leisure to relax, her little hand being warmly held by Varesa.
Varesa stopped and shook their clasped hands.
"Okay, don't look at these for now. I'll take you shopping again when we have time."
She gripped the Bai You tightly in her hand, "Let's go, we'll miss the train if we dawdle any longer."
There weren't many people at the train station at that time, and then the two of them bought tickets.
I boarded the train bound for the suburbs; the carriage was warm and cozy.
Bai You sat down by the car window, and Varesa let her lean on her shoulder.
The train slowly started moving, and the street scenes outside the window gradually faded away, replaced by an endless snowfield and a frozen lake.
Bai You felt drowsy after a short while because of motion sickness, and her eyelids drooped little by little.
Finally, Bai You swayed and leaned against Varesa's chest.
Varesa paused slightly, not daring to move, and looked down at her.
Bai You was already asleep, her breathing light and even, her eyelashes drooping quietly, and her mouth slightly open.
Varesa watched for a long time, her heart melting completely.
She slowly raised her hand, her movements extremely gentle, and pulled Bai You's coat, which had slipped down, back up, even tucking the collar tightly around her neck.
This made her more comfortable, and I gently supported her back with my hands.
"So tired." She muttered very softly, her tone full of helpless pain.
The train swayed and rocked forward, and Varesa remained in that position the whole time.
After sleeping for about half an hour, Bai You woke up groggily.
With his eyes still closed, he mumbled, "Have we... have we arrived?"
"Not yet," Varesa said in a low voice, "Sleep a little longer, I'll wake you when we get there."
Bai You let out a soft "Mmm," snuggled closer to her neck, and drifted off to sleep again.
Varesa felt a warmth in her heart as she felt Voyanisa brush against her, and gently touched the top of her head.
I don't know how much time passed.
The train stopped at that small station.
The car paused, swayed slightly, and then came to a stop.
" Little Bai You, wake up, we're here." Varesa gently patted the back of the person in her arms.
Bai You opened her eyes groggily, blinked twice in confusion, and then remembered where she was.
She yawned slightly, her eyes still glistening with sleep, and her voice still had a nasal tone from just waking up.
"So fast..."
"She slept the whole way, and she's fast." Varesa laughed, tucking her messy hair behind her ears.
He checked her coat buttons one more time before helping her to her feet. "Let's go, get off the bus."
The two left the small station and walked straight along the snow-covered path towards the cave.
I walked along the snow path for a while.
After turning past the snow-covered slope, the vertical opening of the cave reappeared before our eyes.
Last time, in this grove of trees, the Doctor suddenly attacked.
All was quiet at this moment, with only the soft rustling of the wind through the withered branches that the Doctor had broken.
Some old, messy traces, which had long been covered by new snow, were still faintly visible on the snow.
Varesa unconsciously slowed her pace and tightened her grip on Bai You's hand.
She stared at the woods outside the cave, and the images from that day flooded back—
Bai You rushed over to shield her back, and the last few words, almost inaudible, were "I like you."
Her throat tightened, and she didn't move for a while.
" Varesa." Bai You noticed Varesa's state, stopped, turned around, took both of her hands, and looked up at her.
"Look at me. I'm perfectly fine, right here. It's all in the past."
Varesa lowered her eyes slightly, meeting Bai You's bright and lovely eyes, and the lingering fear that had surged up within her gradually subsided.
She took a deep breath, knelt down, and gently hugged Bai You.
"Yes, it's all in the past." Her voice was still a little hoarse. She then stood up and held her hand tightly again.
"Let's go home and take a look."
The two went around to the other side and entered the cave through a hidden entrance at the back.
After walking a few steps, that familiar, warm and gentle scent wafted towards me.
Just as Varesa had predicted, the aftershocks of that day only reached the outside of the cave; the inside remained completely unharmed.
The seashells that Varesa had arranged neatly on the ground, the few pillars that responded to the sound standing silently by the water, and the large seashell in the center of the cave were all intact.
The large seashell was covered in dust, and even the wooden storage box that Varesa had placed there looked somewhat messy, indicating that no one had been there for a long time.
"They're all here..." Varesa stared blankly, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense the whole way, finally settled.
My eyes welled up with tears; the seashell was still there, the echo pillar was still there, everything was alright.
"Everyone says everything will be alright." Bai You shook her hand, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
"It's just a little dusty."
"Okay, let's do it. Let's get started and turn it back to its original state, and even make it better than before." Varesa crouched down, her fingertips gently brushing against the small seashells.
After a while, she calmed down, got up and walked to the pillar, cleared her throat, and softly sang a line to the pillar.
A clear, melodious song echoed through the cave, striking the stone pillars and creating gentle, resonant echoes.
Because of the echo pillar, the singing echoed layer upon layer, lingering for a long time.
As if the cave, which had been silent for some time, had finally recognized its owner, it responded to her softly and joyfully.
Bai You, standing beside him, also smiled.
As the music ended, Varesa turned around and reached out her hand.
"Come on, Little Bai You, let's get started."
Bai You turned to look at Varesa, "I brought everything, nothing's missing. I'll make sure everything's perfectly packed for you today."
Varesa's gaze fell on the small room at the very back of the cave, and her eyes softened.
She took Bai You's hand and said, "Let's go decorate our little room."
This was something Varesa had painstakingly tidied up a little by little recently, and she only stayed there for a night or two.
Later, Bai You arrived, and they returned to the theater.
The room wasn't big; it just contained a small bed against the rock wall, a small stone table, and two wooden stools.
It had been a while since I'd last visited, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the old bedding on the bed.
The small items on the table were scattered about, making the room look rather deserted.
"Oh dear, it's all covered in dust." Varesa walked in, reached out and wiped her hand along the edge of the stone table, her fingertips picking up a bit of dust.
"It's alright, a little wiping will fix it," Varesa said, not at all discouraged.
Instead, he rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to get to work, and said, "I'll do these chores; you can make the bed and stuff later."
Varesa quickly wiped away the dust and then prepared to rearrange the room.
With a thought, Bai You took out the items she had brought one by one from her storage space.
First, a thick, soft mattress was laid out on the wooden bed, instantly making it feel cozy.
Next was the quilt with a kitten pattern. When unfolded, the adorable kittens on the bed stood out prominently.
"You actually brought this quilt."
Varesa looked at the kitten-themed bed and couldn't help but laugh. "I told you when I was choosing it, it's so flashy."
"What's so fancy about it? It's so cute!" Bai You protested, then climbed onto the stone bed with the blanket, carefully spreading it out and tucking in the edges one by one.
"Look how nice it looks on the bed; it must be so soft and cozy to sleep on."
Varesa didn't argue with her, but just watched with a smile as she knelt on the bed, busy with everything, a tiny little bundle of energy, so earnest.
After making the bed, Bai You took out the lily that had been growing in the water. The buds were still closed, not fully open, and the stems and leaves were still fresh and green.
She cleared a space on the stone table and placed the lilies on it.
Requiem for the Underworld
Fengxian Vesna at your service
Principal soprano Varesa
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I just finished writing a chapter today. School started today, and I've been busy for a long time... Waaah, I really can't finish it now.
I'll catch up in a couple of days once I get used to it. Thank you everyone for your support! つ♡⊂